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A Florida school district overhauled its summer school program to increase its rigor and customize learning for struggling students. Among the changes are adding blended-learning courses to target interventions to the specific skills for middle- and high-school students and themed reading and writing camps to improve literacy skills among elementary students.

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A Maryland school district is piloting blended-learning Spanish classes in 10 elementary schools to enhance students' foreign language and literacy skills. Fourth- and fifth-grade students spend time working with a Spanish teacher and using language software. The classes start with speaking and vocabulary skills and build to writing and reading in Spanish.

More schools in Washington, D.C., are adopting blended-learning programs. In schools that already have been using blended learning, educators say having students learn via computers frees up teachers to facilitate discussions and assist struggling students.

A Kansas middle school launched a three-week summer math academy this year after reviewing student test scores and discovering a need for extra math instruction. The summer program uses a blended-learning model. "It gives us a chance in the summer to kind of snag some kids that we might have missed and slipped through the cracks," principal Jeff Freund said.

A new blended-learning program in Haverford, Pa., schools aims to draw students who might otherwise attend out-of-district cyber-charter schools. The program allows students to take courses online, participate in district activities and could be a good fit for students who are home-bound because of illness, or who need accelerated learning or credit recovery, officials said. Currently, 60% of district students participating in blended-learning programs are in special education, the article notes.

More K-12 school districts are offering online options to help retain students -- important in obtaining funding -- and ensure they are successful. In Clovis, Calif., where as many as 200 students enroll in online alternatives each year, district officials established a full-time virtual charter school in 2009, and developed their own curriculum based on state standards. Other districts are providing blended-learning options that combine online classes with district-level support for students.